Don’t Miss this Gourmet Ghetto Spot!

04.14.17

Berkeley’s Gourmet Ghetto, as the stretch of Shattuck Avenue is known, is home to Alice Waters’ iconic Chez Panisse and to Cheeseboard Collective across the street, which rarely doesn’t have a line out the door. But lesser known Tigerlily, with its unique take on Indian food meets California cuisine, has become a dining destination for a fun evening out with friends or a date night that you need to know. With its industrial chic decor and front patio doors that open on warmer evenings, this is a perfect place to sip a custom-named cocktail, like Michael’s Pollan, named after the local author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, and try your first ever tikka masala fried chicken. Yes, you read that right.

When to go: Tigerlily is open every evening for dinner and if you can make it early enough for a week day happy hour, get there before 5pm. They also have an amazing brunch from 10am-2:30pm on the weekends.

What to order: Let’s get back to that tikka masala fried chicken. Served with buttermilk mashed potatoes and braised greens, its worth a trip there alone. For amazing vegetarian options, we love the avocado and beet salad with homemade paneer cheese and the tempura asparagus. A popular favorite is the tamarind chili baby back ribs.

Make an afternoon out of it: Leave a little early before dinner and save some time for checking out A Priori, which is dedicated to carrying sustainable and chic home goods, like wooden serving platters, visit Twig& Fig’s small custom paperie, and get lost inside pages at Books Inc.